Fraternizing with the Enemy
by stardustii
Summary: It's a year in the life... of a Slytherin.
1. The Transformation

Hermione Granger looked like a fish. A gaping fish out of water.

"I have to _what_?"

Dumbledore looked at a frazzled Hermione curiously. Hermione looked at Dumbledore as if he had just announced that he was a married cross-dresser.

"Professor," Hermione put her hands together in a little tee-pee under her chin, "there is no way, no way in -pardon my language- _hell_ that I will do such a thing. Never."

He was asking her to disguise herself as a Slytherin and look for the darkest student, or ones that were already committed to the Dark Lord. Apparently, there would be workshops every week that emphasized inter-house communication and acceptance.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore started urgently, "It is rapidly becoming of the utmost importance to teach the students. Many in the Slytherin house have parents who are death eaters who have told them stereotypes of every kind since they could understand. It is crucial that we find out which students are the darkest so that they can have more guidance from our professors."

Hermione, perceptively aware of the sudden change in mood, stayed silent.

"I was sure you'd be against it, of course," Dumbledore continued after a pause, "but you are the only one qualified. I realize how much you wanted to become Head Girl, but you could make a much greater difference if you this. Miss Granger, do you realize the importance of this mission?"

Oh, Hermione thought sarcastically, it's a mission now. Sure, all i do is change my hair color and everyone will think I'm a totally different girl? And do I really want to give up my Head Girl position?

She really did want to help the school; she really did. But she wasn't sure this was her way to help. Sure, she could make up short little lies to get out of trouble and such. Yes, she observed things about people that most others didn't catch, but that didn't mean that she could live as a Slytherin while getting information at the same time.

However, she had gotten minutely bored of the life she was in, the boring repetition of it, day after day. She was ready for some change, and she was going to start by accepting this mission.

"So," she started, "when do I dye my hair?"

* * *

It was a very different looking Hermione that walked out of Dumbledore's office. 

Jet Black hair, side bangs swept to her left, hair cascading down her back in lovely waves. Widow's peak, straight teeth, earrings, contacts so dark they made her honey eyes look purple.

Nothing had been done to change her face; she would have to take a potion every day, and Dumbledore didn't want her to accidentally forget. It had just been dye, a perm, and a little bit of hair growing salve that had been applied to her head to make the widow's peak.

She had transformed. She jumped with a shock when she saw Harry as she walked out. She gave him a small smile and a wave, but he looked at her, dazed, and walked into Dumbledore's office. He showed no signs of recognition.

Her transformation was complete.

* * *

Draco sat back in the Great Hall, disappointment clouding his features. He hadn't gotten Head Boy. Neither had Blaise, thank Merlin. And Granger was nowhere to be seen. He was torn between sadness and sheer glee. Sadness for losing his Head Boy position to Harry, or jumping with glee because Granger was nowhere in sight. Maybe she was pregnant with Potter's child and couldn't come to school for a year. 

He was jostled by Blaise, and Draco's attention immediately went up to the front of the hall, where Dumbledore was speaking.

"-and I would like you to meet Alexene, a foreign exchange student from the United States. She'll be staying until the end of the year."

Hermione plastered a shy smile on her face and walked over to the Slytherin table, situating herself at the far end. Green, she thought, was not her color.

* * *

Draco saw her walk to the table and sit two seats away from him. She exuded a mysterious innocence that enchanted him. He saw her tuck her hair behind her ear gracefully as she spoke to Pansy.

* * *

"You can call me Lexine or Lexi, but _please_ don't call me Alex," Hermione laughed. 

Pansy gave her a charming smile. "Oh, sorry. I understand where you're coming from. Alex _does_ sound boyish, huh?"

Hermione just smiled. Her attitude, according to Dumbledore, was suppose to be completely different as well. No late night studying, no know-it-all behavior, no raising her hand to answer every question in class. So, basically, she was suppose to act dumb. She was a dumb slytherin slut. Hermione scowled inwardly. Wait-- she couldn't act dumb. This was slytherin. She was suppose to be cunning. So she was a cunning slytherin slut. Hm. very well, she'd just learn from Pansy. She tuned into Pansy's enthused speech.

"I just absolutely LOVE your eyes! Such a pretty color..."

"Really? Thanks! You know, though, I don't think it matches with the green on my robe." She picked at the green listlessly.

Pansy sighed sympathetically. "Oh, you poor girl, you're absolutely right!"-here she lowered her voice to a whisper- "But don't worry. No eye color matches green anyways, so it's okay."

Hermione's grin turned to a gasp as she saw a blond head move out from behind Pansy's dark one.

"Draco." he drawled, extending his hand, "Draco Malfoy."

Hermione forgot all about her cover and gaped. Was he-Was he being a gentleman? To her?  
Then she remembered. She was Alexene. The dark-haired Slytherin. Pureblood Slytherin.

She recovered quickly and sent him a dazzling smile.

"Nice to meet you, Draco." She shook his hand. "I'm Alexene. Alexene Bledel."

* * *

**A/N:** BOO! 

Happy late new year :D

I kind of know where I'm going with this, since I'm basing it off of several dramas I watched and a couple books all shmooshed together. I'm still in the process of straightening everything out and such. :

R&R :P Cuz they make me so happy I could fly.


	2. Problems in Potions

Being in Slytherin, Hermione decided, was a completely different experience than being in Gryffindor.

It was a completely different atmosphere with a completely different rulebook. Different ethics, morals, behaviors.

It was her first day and she had already seen the respect for the strong, contempt for the weak, and alliances that shifted with the change of power. Friendships were rather built on mutual respect rather than love, and each person was a master at exploiting others for their own gain. Weakness was not accepted, and ambition prevailed. Ambition which was directly linked to determination, and determination which meant that one did not give up.

All in all, it was a pretty frightening place to be.

Fortunately, Pansy had decided to take the "new girl" under her wing. Hermione did not object. Pansy was a powerful ally, and if turned, could be a formidable enemy. Yes, Pansy was a ditz. Yes, she was vain and self-centered. However, she had a great deal of power in the common house due to her parents' prestige.

Through Pansy came new friends, girls she had never even known before: Bella Trangeur and Victorie Luff among many others.

Through Pansy's enthused, "Let's introduce her to the guys," Hermione was re-introduced to many of her old enemies: Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle. She was mildly surprised when she realized Slytherins could actually be polite. Blaise, to her surprise, was an amazingly charming character.

"Ah, _bellisima_," he had enthused as soon as she was introduced, "I am Blaise. It is a pleasure to meet you." He had brought her hand up to his lips and brushed it gently with his lips, looking for her reaction from underneath his eyelashes.

She had been way too shocked to do anything. She had simply stood there, gaping at his audacity and charm, wondering how a person could act so different to Purebloods and Muggle-borns.

But still, it was Draco that bothered her the most. Yes, he wasn't as much of a ferret when he was with his friends, and yes, he also had a flair for flirting with style, but when he was away from the scrutiny of the professors, his jokes about Mudbloods increased.

Yes, Hermione was enraged when she heard him.

Yes, she wanted to stop him from using such profanity when describing "her" kind.

But it was something, she figured, that she couldn't do anything about until she had been there longer. He had a whole army of people behind him. He was their king, their leader who fought against the danger of assimilation with the inferior. She was a nobody, the new girl. The first few weeks would be vital in finding the place where she stood and represented in the Slytherin house.

---

_Monday morning, Potions with Snape--_

It was the first time she had _received_house points for coming to class early and saying the correct answers. The absolute first.

She had answered his questions correctly--as she always had-- except this time she was rewarded by house points and even a slight quirk of the lips that could have been mistaken for a smile. It was exceedingly easy to get carried away.

She probably would have continued answering Snape's questions if Ron hadn't murmured, "Merlin, she's like another Hermione. Do you see that, Harry?"

She had whipped around (at the sound of her name) and realized a moment too late that she was now Alexene Bledel, the foreign exchange student from the states. It took everything she had to act calm. She fingered her necklace, hoped to Merlin that no one recognized her, and stared unblinkingly at Harry.

"Excuse me, who's Hermione, and why am I like her?"

Ron started to get flustered, as he often did around girls he barely knew. Hermione watched impassively as his cheeks flamed red. So he didn't recognize her either. She should've been glad, she knew. She knew she should've been happy that the plan worked. But deep, deep down, she had wanted them to know that it was her, had wanted them to recognize her habits after six years of being best friends. Did they have no intuition?

No matter how she rationalized it, she couldn't get rid of the slight sense of disappointment that wrapped itself around her heart.

"Well, Alexene," Harry started, his green eyes staring back with equal intensity, "You aren't like her at all. I guess what Ron meant was that you both know the answer to everything, but that's where the similarity ends. She was--" he caught himself, "she _is_ a great person; kind, generous, intelligent."

Hermione thought she saw tears in his eyes.

"Oh? Where is she now?" Her voice softened to a delicate whisper, and she blinked back the tears that were threatening to overflow. Her heart was aching to tell them the truth; aching to tell them that she was alive and well.

"I...I don't know." He said this last part with hesitation, slightly hanging his head as if it was his fault his best friend wasn't here. "She hasn't contacted us at all, and we have no idea why she's not here."

Hermione's mouth opened in a silent "O". Her mind reeled at the thought that Harry was hurting because of her. She hadn't thought about _this_ part of her life at all when she'd accepted the "plan" to spy on the Slytherins. It had just been assumed that she would act like a foreign girl for a year; if she was in trouble, Alexene would leave and Hermione would come back.

She was about to say a warm, loving word of consolation when Draco's voice broke through, cold and demeaning.

"Don't try to get to the girl by gaining her pity, Scarface. She's a slytherin. It won't work."

His icy gaze turned to Hermione. "Isn't that right, Alexene?"  
Hermione gazed back at him, wishing that he could disappear. _why was he doing this?_

Hermione paused; gazing at Harry.

It was so tempting to just give up, to tell Harry she was all right, to tell him that she was _there._ But she couldn't. She just... couldn't. It would ruin the plan; this wasn't about her, it wasn't about Harry, it wasn't about Draco. This was about the good of the school, the future of all magical students._she was working to eliminate racism._

So she just sat down, unable to comment. She felt so _weak._

---

A/N: Hey guys, i know this isn't much, but i've been having the worst case of writers block :(

and just so you know, this was posted per MiaSlytherinPrincezz72's request. :) I was actually going to discontinue this story, but... MiaSlytherinPrincezz72's comment made me feel super super special so I'm dedicating this chapter to her. :)

And review! 3 

review review review. got it? loves you all

and... Forever in my heart is... not going anywhere. D: i've written about 3 different versions of the third chapter and i don't like any of them. sorry :( tear 


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